OLAF and EUIPO unite with global partners in the fight against e-commerce fakes

Press release no 25/2025
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The European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) and the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) hosted the international conference “Ordered, counterfeited, unmasked: the global fight against e-commerce fakes” on 7–8 October in Alicante, Spain. The event, the largest ever organised jointly by OLAF and EUIPO, brought together over 100 participants from across the world to address one of the fastest-growing fraud phenomena: counterfeit products sold online. 

OLAF and national customs authorities presented trends, case studies and investigative techniques for online investigations. Experts discussed methods used by counterfeiters to misuse online sales channels and shared best practices on how to tackle them. Major e-commerce platforms explained the operation of traditional websites and e-commerce platforms, their various business models and logistic flows as well as compliance processes related to the prevention of online sale of counterfeited products.

E-commerce has revolutionised shopping but it has also created a fertile ground for fraudsters to push fake and unsafe goods into the market. Counterfeit goods cause economic harm but can also pose serious risks to consumers’ health and safety. The rapid growth of online platforms, combined with the anonymity and speed of digital transactions, makes tackling this wrongdoing a uniquely complex challenge. 

For this reason, for the first time, the conference was organised in a hybrid format, allowing wide reach of partners from all continents. The conference brought together more than 100 participants from across the world, including over 50 customs authorities. Speakers from Belgium, Brazil, India, Nigeria, Türkiye and Sweden animated the discussions. Major e-commerce platforms such as Amazon, Alibaba, Mercado Libre, Temu and Shopee, alongside payment provider PayPal and representatives from World Customs Organization (WCO) also took part. Their presence reflected the global nature of e-commerce fraud and the need for global solutions. You can read more about the event in EUIPO's news item.

OLAF acting Director-General Salla Saastamoinen stressed the importance of the event: “E-commerce has revolutionised shopping, but it has also created new opportunities for fraudsters. Counterfeit toys, medicines and electronics are not harmless bargains — they endanger health and safety. With this conference, OLAF and EUIPO laid the groundwork for stronger international cooperation to protect consumers in Europe and worldwide.”

The two-day meeting marked a turning point by moving beyond knowledge-sharing to creating the basis for future operational collaboration. OLAF and EUIPO intend this to be the start of enhanced global joint efforts against online counterfeiting, ensuring that the digital marketplace becomes safer and fairer for citizens.

OLAF mission, mandate and competences:
OLAF’s mission is to detect, investigate and stop fraud with EU funds.    

OLAF fulfils its mission by:
•    carrying out independent investigations into fraud and corruption involving EU funds, so as to ensure that all EU taxpayers’ money reaches projects that can create jobs and growth in Europe;
•    contributing to strengthening citizens’ trust in the EU Institutions by investigating serious misconduct by EU staff and members of the EU Institutions;
•    developing a sound EU anti-fraud policy.

In its independent investigative function, OLAF can investigate matters relating to fraud, corruption and other offences affecting the EU financial interests concerning:
•    all EU expenditure: the main spending categories are Structural Funds, agricultural policy and rural development funds, direct expenditure and external aid;
•    some areas of EU revenue, mainly customs duties;
•    suspicions of serious misconduct by EU staff and members of the EU institutions.

Once OLAF has completed its investigation, it is for the competent EU and national authorities to examine and decide on the follow-up of OLAF’s recommendations. All persons concerned are presumed to be innocent until proven guilty in a competent national or EU court of law.
 

For further details:

Pierluigi CATERINO
Spokesperson
European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF)
Phone: +32(0)2 29-52335  
Email: olaf-mediaec [dot] europa [dot] eu (olaf-media[at]ec[dot]europa[dot]eu)
https://anti-fraud.ec.europa.eu
LinkedIn: European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF)
X: x.com/EUAntiFraud
Bluesky: euantifraud.bsky.social